8 Essential Oils to Help You Feel Amazing Naked

We all want to look better naked. But feeling better is just as important.

While we can take matters of physical health into our own hands, we get what we get in this life. Sure, you can nip and tuck yourself into Barbie-esque stature, but hopefully you have better ways to spend your time. And your money. Still, being naked happens. And if you’re in a relationship, that means being naked in front of someone else. Not exactly the easiest if body image is an issue for you.

The problem is right there in the words: body image. It’s typically not our bodies that give us so much grief, but rather, our image of them (and often, the ideal image others have of the female body). We want bigger boobs, smaller butts, more toned abs and thighs. Are we ever satisfied? How can we be more comfortable with our bodies just as they are—even if they’re not quite exactly where we want them to be?

Boosting our confidence is important in not only being comfortable in our bodies, but in also helping us to get them where we’d ideally like them to be. But first things first. We’ve got to feel good naked, no matter how far away we are from our target goal. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this? Your nose.

Essential oils are a little bit like magic potions. All you need to do is smell a tiny bit of their potent fragrances before they start to change your mood. The pure botanical extracts contain powerful compounds that have instant effects on our states of consciousness. The sense of smell goes straight to the brain, taking with it instructions from the plant kingdom.

Whether you’re slipping into the season’s first bikini, or cuddling up with your partner, these fragrances can help. When using essential oils, dab a few drops on wrists and neck, even massage into your hair. If using with a partner, you can anoint each other on the third eye, the heart, and maybe even some of those places you’re feeling less than comfortable with.

You can also mix a few drops into a spray bottle with water and spray onto bedding or into the air for a fragrant pick-me-up. Give any of these a try solo or mix a few.

1. Neroli: It’s both sensual and soothing. It can help to quell any anxiety or depression about how you look or feel.2. Vetiver: This earthy scent can help to ground you and make you feel more secure and balanced.3. Rosemary: It’s both inspiring and grounding—lifting you into an energized state while also balancing and grounding.4. Lemon: The fruity citrus scent of lemon is soothing to nervousness while also being uplifting.5. Juniper: Another anxiety-buster, juniper brings peace and confidence, too.6. Frankincense: Find peace and tranquility with frankincense. It’s both ethereal and very comforting.7. Sandalwood: Sensual, sweet and earthy, sandalwood can help you find your center and feel more present in the moment and less caught up in your thoughts.8. Myrrh: An extremely powerful essential oil, myrrh opens up your heart with confidence and can bring with it great focus and clarity.

Jill Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based journalist and editor focused on the global food system and how it intersects with our cultural traditions, diet preferences, health, and politics. She is the senior editor for sister websites OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com, and works as a research associate and editor with the Cornucopia Institute, the organic industry watchdog group. Jill has been featured in The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, and Eat Drink Better. www.jillettinger.com.

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